“Not Forgotten – Forced Labour in National-Socialist Görlitz” is dedicated to researching and publicising the places, living conditions and exploitation of forced labourers in the factories and businesses in and around Görlitz. We are specifically interested in two groups of forced labourers: Prisoners of War interned in the nearby Stalag VIII A who were put to work in external Kommandos, and and civilian labourers who were deported to Görlitz, mostly from eastern and central Europe. The various points of contact between them and the local population as well as the economic significance of the labourers for the town and its factories are prominent aspects of this project.
The project also covers the cultural history of the topic of forced labour in Görlitz. The central question here is how this episode was treated publicly and within families during the GDR and after 1989. Overall, the aim is to establish the presence of forced labourers in the public and collective memory of Görlitz.
Project Aims
- Capturing and researching historical information linked to the everyday life and exploitation of forced labourers in Görlitz (conducting and preserving oral history interviews; reviewing archival documents and historical collections)
- Increasing the availability of information about forced labour in National-Socialist Germany through educational offers tailored to various target groups (city maps, guided tours, workshops, study sessions)
